Changes

They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself - Andy Warhol

Time by itself doesn't make anything better. You have to put some work in.
It's a scary thing at times to think differently, or to even think on you but it very well could be the best decision you have ever made.

Remember, no one else but you is responsible for you. And only you know the way things are now, and the changes you would like to make or see happen.

It may and will be hard, but with much prayer, wisdom from counsel and knowledge from God; where you are today doesn't have to be the final script.

Amen?

What a friend!

One of the greatest gifts God has given us as His children is His Holy Spirit!  Think about it! How many people do you know that you can call a friend, a counselor, a comforter, and advocate, an intercessor, a standby?  Do you know anyone that you can call all that? The truth is that the Holy Spirit wants to be that friend to each and every one of us...everyday!

He wants to help us have a good life....and enjoy it too.  He wants to strengthen us in hard times,  and comfort us when we're sad or grieving.  He also wants to listen to us when we need to talk...fight for us when we're weak..pray for us when we can't....I mean, who wouldn't want a friend like that!

With all that is going on in this world, He simply wants to give us the power to get through the situations we face victoriously.  He also wants to work in us to change us for the better from the inside out, so we can maintain victory in our everyday lives..

Be thankful for the Holy Spirit in your life!
- Joyce M

Risk, and Reward

Have you ever thought of taking a risk?  Doing something entirely different from the way you are used to? A little change here and there....might actually bring you a greater reward.

We think of something different as a catalyst for stress. Taking risks does not have to be stressful.  If we go into it trusting and hoping for good results, we'll get it!  Just as Ruth (in the book of Ruth) took a huge risk, stepped out of her comfort zone and traveled with Naomi, it strategically put her in a lineage of blessings.

We have that part of us that wants to hold on to tradition, to the safe, to the norm, to the comfortable, the way its always been.  But like Ruth, I want to trust that change - even unwanted change - can be the threshold to a new dimension of growth. 

I pray this for you too ladies! :)

Risk-Taking Builders:

• Are there any unsettling changes that you are currently facing?
• Despite the risk of change, how can you look forward to new areas of growth?

Comfort in times of trouble

2 Corinthians 1:4-5 (New International Version) Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. A lot of times, we are quick to pass judgement or quick to react to people and situations based on our past experiences and hurts .... But are we really exercising the extended grace of God? Or are we so caught up in ourselves that we truly forget to BE what we are really supposed to be? Sometimes it's not about what you have been through, it's about what you can do for someone else. That's the good gospel, right? God is the God of all comfort and if we are truly striving to be like Him, then we MUST exercise this gift....w/ absolutely no excuses I am guilty of this too myself...so, you are not alone :) Although tough love is needed, we have to be careful that we do not become a barrier for someone else's growth. Empathy is not always about proving to the other person know that you and only you, have the remedy for their situation. It's ALWAYS about praying, and comforting, and seeing them come through and out of the mess they are currently in....and hopefully, with your prayers and counsel, they'll walk towards greatness and not catastrophe. Why? Because someday, you'll need the same favor :) SELAH

The Process of Change

The process of change is "to". To takes you from one stage to another. It is the bridge that connects the past and the future. A walkway that leads you away from the present. The number 2 expresses an exchange of position, or a move of location. 2 opens up the change of state. To is the catalyst of transition.

Changes, Changes

Change is not a location but a mental decision to move from one place to another ~ Anonymous As women, we go through all kinds of changes in life; work changes, changes in our bodies, we change our priorities, changes in our emotions, we re-adjust our day to suit others, career changes, financial changes etc...we make changes all the time. And I find that its hard to stay focused when these changes happen, but even more seriously, its challenging to stay encouraged. It is essential that we learn how to edify ourselves, to encourage ourselves, to stir up the giftings within us, to call those GREAT things in us out to the surface, to look at ourselves differently, to speak words of encouragement to other women around us, to see the big picture and so on. These are some tools that can help us emotionally, spiritually, physically, practically and mentally. Sometimes things happen and it completely shifts us off gear. But ladies, this is the BEST time to get re-charged. Maybe it is a time to re-evaluate some things, to prioritize some things in our lives...maybe it's a time of promotion. But if we do not encourage ourselves, we may lose the blessing that is coming to us. Depression is not of God. It's really of the enemy. Be careful that we do not fall into this trap. As ladies, we are quick to think of a million things in a minute and sometimes these million things are usually not positive. They are usually a combination of our dissapointments, our hurts, our failures, our frustrations, our dreams that we have let go, our loneliness, our past hurt, our incapabilites, and on and on. If you are anything like me, I tend to think so much at such a short time that when I find myself in a million thoughts than I started with, I pause and think of how I started out thinking of that one thing in the first place. But I know that God is doing a work in me that is allowing me to surrender all my thoughts and emotions to Him. It's not for me to fix, it's for me to leave it at God's feet in exchange for His peace. So, let me encourage you ladies. When you find yourself going through one change or another, be mindful that it is just a period in your life's journey. Do not wallow in it as if it is the end of the world. God has promised us life and life more abundantly. (John 10:10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly). Hold on to that blessing, encourage each other and get out of depression in Jesus name!